The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-04-30
CUPID'S KNOT UNITED.
Quick Work of Ex-Governor Curtin of
Pennsylvania.

pennsylvania.
One of the legislative committees on Fri
day, in delying among the archives of the
House of Representatives after traces of an
old committee report, came across a docu-
ment which possesses romantic interest
and recalls somewhat exciting incident Of
social life at the State capital i'll 1865 which
never got into print, says the Pittsburg
Dispatch, and was known to but a limited
circle at the time. The document is the
original of House bill No. of the legislative
session of 1906 the introduction of which at
the first session at which the House was
fully organized was the first act in the
legislative career of Matthew S. Quay, now
State Treasurer and L. S. Senator elect. 1t
was bill to divorce Mary Wilson Neon
nell from her husband, Henry Loyd McCon-
nell. Mrs. Mcconnell was the young and
handsome daughter of the then Gov.
Curtin, and thereby hangs the romance of
this story.
Through the efforts of Mr. Quay and Sena-
tor Lowry, of the Crawford district, this
divorce bin, without going to committee,
passed both Houses Of the Legislature in less
than two hours. This was on Jan. 10, 1865.
Miss Mary Wilson Curtin had just budded in
her teens when her father was elected Gov
| ernor of Pennsylvania, and was q schoolgirl
| when she came to Harrisburg to live at the
| Executive Mansion. She was splightly,
| good natured and had charming manners.
| By 1853 she had grown TO be one of the
| handsomeSt, most entertaining and most
| sought after of all in society here and i'll
| Philadelphia, where she was well known and
| is still remembered as & belle.
| One evening at an entertainment at the
| Governors mansion she met young Capt.
Henry Lloyd Mcdonnell, a dasning
! officer OF the army, who was taken
| i'll during the reception and was
toll At hxr h.a
ernor's family. This led 10 frequent
meetings between Miss Curtin and young
| Mcconnell, who was a fine looking fellow,
! but of no particular social status, and would
| not have been listened to by the Governor
| as a suitor for the hand of his daughter
But Cupid and the Captains shoulder
| straps played havoc with the young
lady's heart. The result was that one after
noon pair of tilnid lovers appeared in the
| Office Of old Squire Mclaughlin and asked to
be married. The young lady was yelled,
| The Justice did not dream that she was the
Governors daughter, whom he knew by
sight as one of the pretty girls OF the town.
| he readily agreed to perform the ceremony.
| His little nephew, who was present, wit
messed the marriage certificate. The young
lady gave her name as Miss Mary Wilson
| Curtin, with strong accent on the last
| SYLLABLE The old squire and his nephew are
both dead, but there is stu a living witness
to the ceremony in Harrisburg, William
! Mclaughlin. the Justices son who was home
from the war on furlough and happened to
! be i'll the Office at the time.
Capt Mcconnell said Mr.. Mclaughlin,
| III relating the story of the marriage was
"a very handsome fellow, but | guess that's
about all there was i'll him"
The captain walked down the street to the
Executive Mansion and left his bride at the
! door, going TO his own quarters, presumably
to LET the storm blow over. But the storm
never did blow over. The Governor, as was
| 20 have been expected, was in towering
! rage when he was told by his daughter what
she had done. The young lady was iinmedi-
atcly hurried of To boarding school and
out OF reach, ana negotiations were begun
| with the husband TO get him out OF the way
as well Gov. Cur'tin's political power at that
time was greater probably than that of any
| man IN the State, and means were fOunl TO
I induce the young and daring captain 10 leave
| the state at once ana make no claim upon
his wife, who, he was told, had repented of
her marriage and didn't care 10 see him any
! more In q few days the captain lett Har-
risburg and was lost sight OF by his friends
here. He subsequently became a United
! States marshal in the West. where he now
| lives
Whether the young bride protested against
| the summary way III which she was snatched
| from ner husbands arms il "A matter Of con
] lt'bu'f buN II WIS tuiJfNL gossip among
| those few who knew OF the circumstances
that the irate Governor had locked hs
daughter up in her room in the Executive
Mansion until the captain was out ut the
way. The marriage was kept pretty quiet
| considering the circumstances. and although
the story did lenk out m society IN "a piece
! meal 'ort Of way. the particulars wore Aercr
Z known, aud thu papcre knew nothin., Oi the
/ atlnir. a. 4pOn as the Legislature met
! divorce bill WIS presented. 10 has been seen
AMI thc marriage annuird since then
/ Sis 'urn h0s married country physician
! living n thr interior of Pennr ylynniG.
NHtq makes J0nrs sY near lglted lnielyf
lf"dnu'i ru w. klpw n fellow when b. meets
. hinu.
"llIs faihnf has iusi died
"N"l : never uiongh rrlef fpr the governor
would Unfgf his eFfa sNI
tN,ut bui hrh runr iB f9r ail tls COVER
. 400 Hu'ni"' fiIWs f4Wcs